


Captain America Is Voting (And So Can You)

by Lauralot



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anti-Donald Trump, Anti-Third Party, Gen, Politics, Public Service Announcement, Steve and Bucky didn't spent 70 years on ice for this shit, Vote or die, do your super soldier grandpas proud
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26321461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauralot/pseuds/Lauralot
Summary: Bucky isn't sure if he's registered to vote.  Steve helps him figure things out.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
Comments: 43
Kudos: 135





	Captain America Is Voting (And So Can You)

Steve Rogers was printing templates from [Vote Forward](https://votefwd.org/) to send letters encouraging others to vote in the general election in November, when Bucky Barnes walked into the room.

“Hey Steve,” he said, staring down at the floor. “I don’t know if I’m registered to vote.”

Bucky Barnes had not voted in the District of Colombia’s primary because he had been in Romania, trying to cope with seventy years of torture and brainwashing. And then COVID had happened, and it had been a long struggle to get back into the country.

“If you are still registered, you’re probably registered for New York,” Steve said. “Let’s check your status.”

Steve went to the NASS website’s [Can I Vote](https://www.nass.org/can-I-vote) page and selected “Voter Registration Status.” He clicked New York for the state, and then entered Bucky’s name, date of birth, and his previous county of residence. Bucky was listed as inactive.

“I guess it’s too late to fix it now,” Bucky said, hanging his head again.

“You still have time,” Steve assured him. “In Washington, DC, you can register to vote until October 13, or you can register at the polls on Election Day. I know because I read [a great guide about voting deadlines and requirements by state](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/2020-voting-guide.html).”

“Can we get my voter registration activated again in NYC and transferred to DC by October 13?” Bucky was dubious.

“You don’t need to be reactivated in New York,” Steve explained. “In fact, we can cancel your registration in New York.” To do that, Steve opened a new tab and went to US Election Assistance Commission’s [Register and Vote in Your State](https://www.eac.gov/voters/register-and-vote-in-your-state) page. He selected New York from the drop down menu, and opened the link for the State Election Office website for New York, because that is where he’d find information about canceling registration.

“You’re eligible to apply for registration in DC,” Steve told Bucky. “You’re over eighteen, you’ll have lived here for more than thirty days by the election on November third, you’re not in prison for a felony conviction, you haven’t been judged legally incompetent by a court of law, and you’re not claiming the right to vote anywhere outside of DC.”

“Are those the voting requirements for every state?” Bucky asked.

“No,” Steve said. “Every state makes their own rules. You can find the rules by state on [Vote.org."](https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-rules/)

“Would I need to update my registration if I was just moving houses or counties?” Bucky asked.

“Yes,” Steve said. “The USA.gov website has [a page explaining how to do that](https://www.usa.gov/change-voter-registration). Now, in DC, you can register to vote by mail by filling out the [National Voter Registration form](https://www.eac.gov/voters/national-mail-voter-registration-form). Then you mail that to the DC Board of Elections along with a photocopy of your proof of residence.”

“What counts as proof of residence?” Bucky asked.

“A bank statement, paycheck, utility bill, or government-issued check, if they’re dated within ninety days of the election. A current ID from the DMV also works, or a copy of a lease, or a tuition bill or student housing statement, or a homeless shelter occupancy statement. If you don’t have any of those specifically, any government-issued document with your name and address will work. That’s for DC,” Steve added. “It can vary by state, so it’s important to check.”

“Damn, I don’t have a state ID or a driver’s license.” Bucky’s face fell. “So I can’t vote, right?”

“You don’t need a government-issued ID to vote in DC,” Steve reassured him. “Each state has [their own voter ID laws](https://ballotpedia.org/Voter_identification_laws_by_state).” 

“Are there any other options to register in DC besides mailing the application?” Bucky ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t trust the form to arrive in time, not with the post office being sabotaged like this.”

“I get that,” Steve said. “You can also register in person on Election Day or on early voting days at an Early Voting Center. But early voting in DC doesn’t start until October twenty-seventh, so if you want to register before then, I can drive you to the DMV or another National Voter Registration Act agency, like a public library. We just need to bring the form and a proof of address.”

“Let’s go to a library,” said Bucky. “I love libraries.”

“Me too.”

Steve printed the registration form and they began to fill it out together.

“Why do I have to choose a party affiliation?” Bucky pointed to that section. “Can I not vote for the Democratic candidates if I don’t choose Democrat?”

“Some states have closed primaries, Buck. That means if you want to vote in the Democrat primary, you have to be registered as a Democratic voter. In the general election, regardless of registration, you can vote for whoever you want, whether it’s Democrat, Republican, or third party.”

“Democrat, obviously.” Bucky checked the box. “The Republicans lick the boots of a fascist who locks children up in cages and orders the CDC to lie about COVID to make the White House look good. And [voting third party is stupid](https://lauralot89.tumblr.com/post/628514569599516673/ah-yes-the-beloved-third-party-myth-i-am) and only ever acts as a spoiler to the major party that best represents your interests.”

“Yes, voting third party is stupid,” Steve said. “Especially this year, when lots of people are [fleeing major urban areas](https://im-the-punk-who.tumblr.com/post/628035239506214912/okay-i-wanna-piggy-back-off-of-the-previous-reply) that are usually reliably blue, like NYC.”

Bucky finished filling out the form. “So I can vote in person before Election Day, right?”

“If you want to, you can. [Almost every state has early voting options](https://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/), although [COVID has changed some things](https://www.vote.org/covid-19/), so it’s important to check. But you don’t have to vote early, because this year, every eligible voter in DC is receiving a mail-in ballot so we can vote without public exposure. Every state has vote by mail options, even if they’re not all automatically sent out.”

“I’d still rather do it at the polls,” Bucky said. “I’m worried about the post office and anyway, I have a super soldier immune system.”

“As long as you feel well on the day you go to vote, that’s fine.” Steve took Bucky’s completed form and put it beside his car keys, so they wouldn’t forget it when they went to the library. “Just wear a mask, try to stay six feet from others, use hand sanitizer and then wash your hands with soap and water as soon as you can. Also, there are options to [drop off mail-in ballots at polling places or drop boxes](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/absentee-ballot-alternatives-usps-mail-in-voting-presidential-election/) rather than mailing them back in.”

“What about people who can't do that _and_ who can’t risk voting in person?” Bucky asked. “You wouldn’t have been able to go out during a pandemic, not back before the war.”

Steve sighed. “Unfortunately, those people will have to rely on the post office for now. As important as voting is, no one should have to expose themselves to a deadly virus to do it. People can try to help the post office by [buying stamps](https://store.usps.com/store/results/stamps/_/N-9y93lv?_requestid=1151190) and [demanding their representatives vote to stop the sabotage](https://5calls.org/), at least.”

“This sucks.”

Steve put his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “Yes, it does. But if we all vote, we can make it better.”

“Steve?”

“Yeah, Buck?”

“What if I go to vote and they tell me I’m not registered? Even if I know I am? What can I do then?”

“They’re required to give you a provisional ballot.” Steve took out his phone and texted a link. “Here, [the ACLU](https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/voting-rights/#the-poll-worker-says-my-name-is-not-on-the-list-of-registered-voters) has a guide on what to do if anyone tries to deny you.”

Bucky nodded. “Thanks. Anything else I should know?”

“You can’t vote online or by phone. There was a lot of misinformation about that in 2016. [Don’t take a picture of your ballot](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/dont-selfie-your-ballot/), there are penalties for doing that in a lot of states. Don’t wear campaign shirts or buttons or anything like that to the polls, and don’t talk about politics around the polls. It can get you thrown out. And make sure you vote for every race, not just for president.”

“Well, yeah. It doesn’t matter if we take back the White House if Congress blocks everything.”

“Right.”

There was a moment of silence. Bucky let out a breath he’d been holding. “Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m worried about the election. Really, really worried.”

Steve crossed the space between them and squeezed Bucky’s hand. “I am too, Buck. But we’re voting, and we’re encouraging everyone we know to vote. I’m even driving people to the polls on election day. We’re doing all that we can.”

“I just hope it’s enough.”

“Me too, Bucky. Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Any pro-Trump statements/anti-Democrat statements/attempts to legitimatize/defend third party voting in the comments will be immediately deleted. This is not a debate space, this is a PSA.
> 
> Vote. Support the post office. Also support your local library, because they kick ass.


End file.
